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Anglo-Irish hymn writer and poet Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the following lines in the 19th century:
‘All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all … Each little flower that opens, ……. Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours, He made their tiny wings.’
But when these birds grew up they had their own axe to grind. This is evident in the famous 13th-century poem titled ‘The Owl and the Nightingale’ where the protagonists mock almighty God’s creation. The supposed author of this poem is the English poet Nicholas of Guildford. Though it may be far-fetched, it may be in context to say in hindsight that the famous lines of poet Alexander were written to educate the Owl and more so the Nightingale about Lord God’s creations centuries later.
The poem ‘The Owl and the Nightingale’ narrates a passionate argument between the eponymous nightingale, representing the lighter joys of life, and the owl, standing for wisdom and sobriety and is overheard by an unidentified narrator when he eavesdrops on them. The poem comes alive with pointed arguments.
The Nightingale is perched on a blossom-covered branch, whereas the Owl is sitting on a bough overgrown with ivy. The Nightingale commences the argument by attacking the Owl’s physique, calling her ugly and unclean. The Owl proposes that they proceed civilly and reasonably in their debate, but the Nightingale suggests that they consult Nicholas of Guildford, who becomes their judge. Thereafter, the Nightingale immediately goes on to shame the Owl for the shrieks she produces and likens her active time of the night to vices and hatred. The Owl in return posits that the Nightingale’s uninterrupted chatter is excessively boring.
The Nightingale replies that the hooting of the Owl brings unwanted melancholy, while her own voice is joyous and reflects the beauty of the world. The Owl is prompt in replying that Nightingales only sing in the summer when men’s minds are laden with lechery, and moreover, singing is Nightingale’s only talent. The Owl has more useful attributes, like cleansing the churches by ridding them of rats. Nightingale claims she too is helpful to the Church, because her songs invoke the glories of heaven, and encourage the churchgoers to be more devout. The Owl counters by saying, that before people can reach heaven, they must repent of their sins. She further enumerates how Nightingale’s gay melodies can entice women to adultery. It is in the nature of women to be weak, claims the Nightingale and the sins they might commit in their maidenhood are forgiven once they are married. It is rather the fault of men, for taking advantage of this weakness in maidens.
The Nightingale, not to be outdone, claims that the Owl is of no use except when dead since farmers use their corpses as a scarecrow. The Owl gives a positive slant to this charge by inferring that Owls help men even after their death.
“And later, when at last I die, he hangs me, spitefully, on high where I scare off magpies and crows and save the seeds the farmer sows. For evil, I return them good and for mankind I shed my blood! I help them even when I die…”
But the Nightingale refutes these claims and she calls other birds to jeer at the Owl.
“You’ll be a monster all your days, For you’re grotesque in many ways: Your body’s short; your neck is small; Your head’s the largest part of all…”
The Owl threatens to assemble her predatory friends, but before the tension can escalate further, a Wren descends to quieten the quarrel. The birds ultimately decide to defer the judgment of their case to Nicholas of Guildford, who lives somewhere in the vicinity.
The Owl and the Nightingale agree to find the wise man. The Owl claims that his memory is so excellent that he can repeat every word of the argument when they arrive. However, the reader never learns which bird outwits her opponent in the debate. The poem ends with the two flying off in search of Nicholas.
But poet Alexander’s lines return to remind the birds that whether good or bad it’s all God’s creation:
“Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings”.
And Nicholas of Guildford is of no consequence for nothing is above God almighty.
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Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi
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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com
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Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications
GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE
(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).
ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY
(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)
AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES
(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).
REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD
(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).
TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN
(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
RHYTHM … in poems
(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)
MIRAGE
(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)
AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra
(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).
BHAVANS JOURNAL
Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22; 27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23;
SHILLONG TIMES—SUNDAY EDITION
ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23
BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI
ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;
ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI
29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;
(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)
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